Controlling instrument

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a controlling instrument which enables a mobile user to trigger electronic, electrical, acoustic, visual and mechanical events. In the musical domain, said instrument enable two handed playing which, depending on the variants, ranges over more or less five simultaneous octaves, whith further modulation possibilities without the addition of a pedal or a mouthpiece.  
     The inventive instrument also comprises, as main characteristics, a prehension bar ( 1 ) that can be flexible and digital controls ( 3 ) which are adjacently arranged thereon, said flexible bar ( 1 ) controlling a sensor ( 5 ). The inventive device is especially suitable for shows and indutry.

This invention concerns a device acting as an interface between the userand a system or systems for generation, management, transmission andreception of electronic and computerised signals or languages whichenable the triggering, control and stopping of electronic, electricaland mechanical events such as, to give a non-limitative example, thosewhich concern the triggering, control and stopping of audible, visualand mechanical events in the artistic and performing arts fields.

Keyboards with pianoforte type ergonomics are very widely used aroundthe world to trigger and control synthesisers and samplers and can alsobe used to control slaved spotlights, their accessories and certainremotely controlled stage machines.

When placed on a support, such keyboards oblige the user to be close tothem in order to play them, either in front of, behind or alongsidethem. When the user wishes to move over a greater distance while stillplaying, he can carry on a shoulder strap a light pianoforte typekeyboard which does not allow playing with both hands on fivesimultaneous octaves or more as with a conventional pianoforte typekeyboard placed on a support. If the pianoforte type keyboard carried ona shoulder strap allows playing with both hands on five simultaneousoctaves, the shape and weight constraints it imposes are restrictive asto the time for which it can be used in a standing position and whenmoving.

The device according to this invention, although not presenting theergonomics of a pianoforte type keyboard, enables the user to trigger,control and stop electronic, electrical and mechanical events and,according to a first characteristic, to be mobile during use, withoutany major shape and weight constraint, in the same way, to give anon-limitative example, as a guitarist carrying his instrument on ashoulder strap, while at the same time retaining the possibility ofplaying with both hands on five simultaneous octaves or on more or lessfive simultaneous octaves, depending on the variants required to beproduced of the controlling instrument concerned by this invention, and,according to second characteristic, offers, at the same time as thisplaying with two hands, additional control possibilities compared toconventional pianoforte type keyboards placed on a support or comparedto those carried on a shoulder strap, without the addition of a pedal orcontactor which might be operated with the foot or the addition of acontrol which might be operated with the mouth.

This invention concerns a device which, according to a firstcharacteristic, is in the shape of a cylindrical or non-cylindricalstick or bar on all or part of its surface, usable with one or morehands without the help of the mouth and which, by pressure, brushing ornearing of the dedicated control zones, juxtaposed along the said stickor the said bar on all or part of its surface, allows the user totrigger, control and stop electronic, electrical and mechanical eventsby way of contactors, switches, sensors or controls dependent on these“control” zones or partly or wholly composing these “control” zones.

The shape and the layout of these “control” zones and the shape of thecontrolling instrument concerned by this invention allow the user'sfingertips to access these “control” zones with each hand independentlyoriented with the palm towards the user or the back towards the userwithout any particular effort or obligation to touch the controllinginstrument concerned by this invention with the forearm or the arm.

According to specific modes of production, the shape and the layout ofthese “control” zones may be designed to allow the finger, in anon-restrictive way, when using them, to move from one of these“control” zones to another rapidly as by sliding without encounteringany obstacle or resistance which might injure it or hinder it.

The layout of these “control” zones allows in a non-restrictive way theuser who so wishes to find the order of the keys offered by aconventional pianoforte type keyboard. The layout of these “control”zones allows the user in a non-restrictive way, during musical use, tofind the order of the notes offered by a conventional pianoforte typekeyboard, namely low to high from left to right, and, in anon-restrictive way, if the systems connected to the device according tothis invention authorise it, to play in polyphony. The device accordingto this invention allows the user, in a non-restrictive way, if thesystems connected to the device according to this invention authoriseit, to trigger, control and stop several electronic, electrical andmechanical events simultaneously.

The number, size and shape of the “control” zones are also defined bythe variants of the controlling instrument concerned by this inventionwhich are required to be produced. To give a non-limitative example,sixty-one control zones eighteen millimetres wide, each comprising astrain gauge sensing the surface finger pressure, can be positioned inrings juxtaposed along the said stick or bar.

This invention concerns a device which, according to a secondcharacteristic, by undergoing one or more bending or twisting stresses,enables the user to trigger, control and stop electronic, electrical andmechanical events by way of contactors, switches, sensors or controlsdependent on this or these bending or twisting stresses. The stopping ofa bending or twisting stress may be parameterised as an instruction.

To give a non-limitative example, during musical use, the control orcontrols dependent on one or more bending or twisting stresses may beused to trigger, control and stop modulations on the tone, the heightand the envelope of the sounds or notes triggered by the “control” zonesdescribed according to the first characteristic.

To allow, according to the second characteristic, the controllinginstrument concerned by this intervention to be subjected to one or morebending or twisting stresses and return to its initial position or shapeafter the stopping of a bending or twisting stress, within the limits ofan appropriate use, several modes of production are possible.

These specific modes of production may use one or more springs and/orany material, matter equipment or combinations of these which canproduce an effect similar or comparable to that of a spring, namely aneffect of flexibility and return to the initial position or shapefollowing the stopping of the application of a bending or twistingstress.

To give a non-limitative example, a firm spring may be placed inside,from one end to the other, the controlling instrument concerned by thisinvention.

The possibilities of control by bending or twisting stress offered bythe second characteristic may be, in a non-restrictive way, used at thesame time as the use of the “control” zones described according to thefirst characteristic.

According to specific modes of production:

to complement and favour the first and second characteristics, the stickor the bar formed for or by the juxtaposition of the “control” zones maycomprise one or more parts external to these “control” zones, withoutany effect on these zones, to allow, for example, the pressing of thethumb or the pressing of the controlling instrument concerned by thisinvention on a part or parts of the user's body.

to complement and favour the first and second characteristics, thecontrolling instrument concerned by this invention can be carried on ashoulder strap or attached to the user's body by any flexible or solidmeans.

each of the contactors, switches, sensors and controls of thecontrolling instrument concerned by this invention may be partly orwholly sensitive or insensitive to the intensity and/or the velocity ofthe action which is applied to it by the user.

each of the controls and “control” zones of the controlling instrumentconcerned by this invention may be indicated by one or more characters,signs or symbols, or protruding or recessed or luminous markings.

the stick (or bar) formed for or by the juxtaposition of the “control”zones may be made straight, curved or bent at an angle and may becovered partly or wholly by a flexible material which may beimpermeable.

parts may be placed at the ends of the length of the stick (or bar) orformed for or by the juxtaposition of the “control” zones orincorporated in it or linked to it or installed separately.

These parts may be designed to:

accommodate contactors, switches, sensors, potentiometers, additionalfinger controls and screens enabling the user to control a system orsystems, embedded or otherwise, serving to configure the controllinginstrument concerned by this invention, to generate and applymodulations, to use memories, to start the playing and recording ofsequences, and to trigger, control and stop electronic, electrical andmechanical events.

accommodate and house the electrical and electronic system or systemsnecessary for the recognition, management and encoding of each of thecontrols and functions of the controlling instrument concerned by thisinvention.

accommodate and house the electrical and electronic system or systemsnecessary for the generation, management, transmission and reception ofthe electronic or computerised protocols and languages chosen for thecommunication between the controlling instrument concerned by thisinvention and a system or systems, embedded or otherwise, generatingelectronic, electrical, audible, visual and mechanical events.

accommodate and house a system or systems generating audible, visual andmechanical events linked directly to the control recognition andmanagement system of the controlling instrument concerned by thisinvention.

accommodate and house the necessary electrical power supply.

accommodate the necessary wiring and connectors.

According to specific modes of production, the controlling instrumentconcerned by this invention may be linked to a wireless system,incorporated or otherwise, for transmission and/or reception of dataand/or signals enabling the triggering, control and stopping ofelectronic, electrical, audible, visual and mechanical events.

According to specific modes of production:

the device according to the invention comprises a handling bar which maybe flexible, the length of which is constituted by the juxtaposition offinger controls.

the finger controls juxtaposed on the length of the handling bar mayform a surface which extends from one edge to the other of the width ofthe said bar.

the finger controls juxtaposed on the length of the handling bar mayform a surface which is curved in the widthways direction.

the juxtaposition of these finger controls may compose a flexiblelength, and the device according to the invention may comprise at leastone sensor for the bending.

the device according to the invention may comprise one or moreadditional finger controls, the operation of which by the user replacesthe triggering of the finger controls juxtaposed on the length of thehandling bar, which are then used to designate the events to betriggered.

this or these additional finger controls may be made of a flexiblematerial and comprise a sensor for the bending; they may be bent by afinger or by an accessory held by a finger or fingers.

five additional finger controls of this type may be placed alongsideeach other in parallel to the handling bar on a support attached at theend of this bar.

To give a non-limitative example, during musical use, these fiveadditional finger controls, which will be designated for easierunderstanding as CS1, CS2, CS3, CS4 and CS5, can be parameterised to beused as follows:

It is considered that the finger controls juxtaposed on the length ofthe handling bar can each be allocated, from the first to the lastrespectively in succession, to each note of a series of notesprogressing from low to high.

A dedicated contactor may be provided to configure the finger controlmanagement electronics in such a way that the triggering of the notesallocated to the finger controls juxtaposed on the length of thehandling bar is carried out by controls CS1 to CS5; these notes are thendesignated by the use of the finger controls juxtaposed on the length ofthe handling bar and triggered by controls CS1 to CS5.

When only one of the finger controls juxtaposed on the length of thehandling bar is used, the note designated by this control is triggeredby controls CS1, CS2, CS3, CS4 and CS5.

When two of the finger controls juxtaposed on the length of the handlingbar are used at the same time, control CS1 triggers the lower of the twonotes designated, and CS2, CS3, CS4 and CS5 trigger the higher of thetwo notes designated.

When three of the finger controls juxtaposed on the length of thehandling bar are used at the same time, control CS1 triggers the lowestof the three notes designated, CS2 triggers the designated note which isimmediately higher than that triggered by CS1, and controls CS3, CS4 andCS5 trigger the highest of the three notes designated.

When four of the finger controls juxtaposed on the length of thehandling bar are used at the same time, control CS1 triggers the lowestof the four notes designated, CS2 triggers the designated note which isimmediately higher than that triggered by CS1, control CS3 triggers thedesignated note which is immediately higher than that triggered by CS2,and controls CS4 and CS5 trigger the highest of the four notesdesignated.

When five of the finger controls juxtaposed on the length of thehandling bar are used at the same time, control CS1 triggers the lowestof the five notes designated, CS2 triggers the designated note which isimmediately higher than that triggered by CS1, control CS3 triggers thedesignated note which is immediately higher than that triggered by CS2,control CS4 triggers the designated note which is immediately higherthan that triggered by CS3, and control CS5 triggers the highest of thefive notes designated.

The appended drawings illustrate the invention:

FIG. 1 represents the device according to the invention by a view of afraction of the handling bar, an interior transparent view from T to T′.

FIG. 2 represents the device according to the invention by across-sectional view of the handling bar.

FIG. 3 represents the device of the invention according to a versionincluding the additional finger controls called CS.

Finger 4 represents a variant of the handling bar by a cross-sectionalview of it.

In reference to these drawings, the device comprises a flexible handlingbar (1) on which finger controls are juxtaposed (3).

According to the modes of production illustrated by FIGS. 1, 2 and 3,the device comprises a flexible plastic tube (2) 1119 millimetres longwith an external diameter of 50 mm and a crown thickness of 2 mm.

Sixty one stress gauge variable resistors sensing the surface pressure(3), 17 mm wide and 115 mm long, are arched lengthways, secured in sucha way as to fit around the outer curve of the tube (2) and positionedalong this tube at intervals of one millimetre; care should be taken toleave 11 mm free at each end of the tube (2).

Grooves between the variable resistors (3) are made on the circumferenceof the tube (2).

5 millimetres before each end of the tube (2), eight holes (7) with adiameter of 3 mm are made at regular intervals on the circumference ofthe tube (2), giving sixteen holes in all.

A metal spring (4) 1095 millimetres long, with an external diameter of45 millimetres and a wire diameter of 4 millimetres, the spirals ofwhich are spaced 10 mm from each other, is placed inside the tube (2).

The last spiral of each end of the spring (4) closes on itself in such away that the wire of the spring (4) ends with two parallel circles.

Twelve bending sensor stress gauge variable resistors (5) aredistributed in three groups of four inside the spring (4).

The first group is placed at the middle of the length of the spring (4),and the other two each at an equal distance between each end and themiddle of the length of the spring (4).

The four bending sensor stress gauge variable resistors (5) of eachgroup are distributed evenly on the crown of the ring (4) on the insidebetween two spirals and attached to these spirals in such a way that theresistance value of at least one of these resistors (5) is modified whentwo respective parts of these two spirals move apart from each otherwhatever the orientation of the bending applied to the handling bar (1).

Care should be taken to insulate the spring (4) electrically from theconductive parts of these bending sensor variable resistors (5).

Fine holes or fine notches may be made on the spirals of the spring (4)to facilitate the attachment of these bending sensors (5) to the spiralsof the spring (4) and avoid rubbing of these bending sensors (5) againstthe inside of the tube (2).

Two metal cylinders with an external diameter of 46 millimetres, a crownthickness of 4 millimetres and a height of 10 millimetres each haveeight threaded holes to accommodate 3 mm screws, at mid-height, evenlydistributed around their circumference,.

Two plastic washers with a thickness of 2 millimetres, an externaldiameter of 46 millimetres and an internal diameter of 26 millimetres,are each placed against each end of the spring (4) inside the tube (2).

Each of the two metal cylinders is placed at each end of the tube (2),inside the tube against each plastic washer, in such a way that thethreaded holes of these cylinders correspond to the holes (7) made onthe circumference of the tube (2).

A rigid cylindrical part (8) closed at one end, which may be made ofPVC, with an external diameter of 54 millimetres, a crown thickness of 2millimetres, an internal diameter of 50 millimetres and a height of 100millimetres is perforated eight times 5 millimetres before its open endby holes with a diameter of 3 millimetres evenly distributed around itscircumference.

The open end of this part (8) surrounds the end of the tube (2) over adistance of 10 millimetres in such a way that the eight holes with adiameter of 3 mm in the end part (8) correspond to the eight holes (7)in one end of the tube (2) and to the eight threaded holes of one of thetwo metal cylinders placed at one end of the tube (2), inside the tube.

Eight 3 mm screws pass through the holes in the end part (8) and theholes (7) in one end of the tube (2) and are screwed from the outside inthe threaded holes in the metal cylinder.

According to the mode of production illustrated by FIG. 3, the part (9)supporting the controls known as CS is added and attached to the endpart (8) or the two are made cast together in a single part.

The controls known as CS are each constituted by a metal strip 45millimetres long, 4 millimetres wide and of low thickness (less than onemillimetre) sheathed with flexible plastic.

These strips (CS) are tautened and attached to the support (9) in such away that when they are subjected to an upward bending stress, i.e.towards the handling bar (1), or a downward bending stress, theresistance value of at least one bending sensor stress gauge variableresistor (10) is modified.

These variable resistors (10) are each attached on one side to thesupport (9) and on the other side to a strip (CS).

The thin cables which link the sixty-one surface pressure sensors (3) totheir analogue-to-digital conversion circuit pass follow a cable path(6) passing along the tube (2) and covered by flexible plastic.

These cables join the inside of the end part (8) through a hole made inthis end part.

The thin cables which link the twelve bending sensors (5) of the spring(4) to their analogue-to-digital conversion circuit pass through theinside of the spring (4) and join the inside of the end part (8) throughits open end.

The thin cables which link the bending sensors (10) of the strips (CS)to their analogue-to-digital conversion circuit pass through the hollowinterior of the support part (9) and join the inside of the end part (8)through an opening made between the end part (8) and the support part(9).

The circuits for analogue-to-digital conversion,multiplexing/demultiplexing, logic gates, management and serialtransmission of the status, address and value bytes in MIDI format (forexample), together with an electrical power supply , which may use a9-volt battery, regulated at 5 volts, and protected by capacitors and adiode, are housed in the end part (8).

If a more complete version is required to be produced, for example witha sequencer, screen, memories and other functions authorised by astandard such as MIDI, and if the interior space of the end part (8) isnot sufficient, it is possible to attach in the same way to the otherend of the tube (2) a part similar to the end part (8), the wiringpassing inside the spring (4).

If the end part (8) is sufficient, or if it is chosen to produce it withlarger dimensions, the tube (2) is closed at its other end by acylindrical cap with an internal diameter of 50 mm and an internalheight of 10 millimetres, with eight holes evenly distributed around itscircumference and attached to the tube (2) in the same way as the endpart (8).

On the circumference of the end part (8), openings are made which aredesigned to maintain at the surface the On/Off and channel selectioncontrols and other configuration functions, notably for the controlsknown as CS.

At the closed end of the end part (8) an opening is made to install a180° five-pin DIN serial connection (11) for the MIDI standard.

A means of attachment for a carrying strap (12) is attached to the endpart (8).

A second means of attachment for a carrying strap (12) is attached tothe part which closes the other end of the tube (2), second end part (8)or cap.

According to an unillustrated variant, the bending sensor stress gaugevariable resistors (5) installed between two spirals of the spring (4)are replaced by stress gauge variable resistors sensing the surfacepressure, glued on shims attached to one of the two spirals, theresistance value of which is modified when a part of the other spiralpresses against it.

It should be noted that the strips (CS) do not need to enter intovibration to be active.

The device according to the inventions is intended for the triggeringand control of electronic, electrical, audible, visual and mechanicalevents and particularly to be used as a musical instrument with a datatransmission standard such as MIDI.

1. Device which can be carried during use, acting as an interfacebetween the user and a system or systems for generation, management,transmission and reception of electronic and computerised signals orlanguages which enable the triggering, control and stopping ofelectronic, electrical, audible, visual and mechanical events, a devicecharacterised by the fact that it comprises a handling bar (1) on whichjuxtaposed finger controls (3) form a surface which extends from oneedge to the other of the width of the said handling bar (1).
 2. Deviceacting as an interface between the user and a system or systems forgeneration, management, transmission and reception of electronic andcomputerised signals or languages which enable the triggering, controland stopping of electronic, electrical, audible, visual and mechanicalevents, a device characterised by the fact that it comprises a flexiblehandling bar (1) on which finger controls (3) are juxtaposed and by thefact that it comprises a sensor (5) slaved to the bending of the saidhandling bar (1).
 3. Device according to one of the previous claimscharacterized by the fact that it comprises an additional finger control(CS), the operation of which by the user replaces the triggering of thefinger controls. (3) juxtaposed on the length of the handling bar (1).These finger controls (3) are then used to designate the events to betriggered.
 4. Device according to any one of the previous claimscharacterised by the fact that it comprises at one end of the handlingbar (1) a part (8) accommodating and housing the additional fingercontrols, together with the electrical and electronic systems and theconnectors necessary for its functioning and its electrical powersupply.
 5. Device according to any one of the previous claimscharacterised by the fact that it comprises at one end of the handlingbar (1) a part (8) accommodating and housing the additional controls(CS).
 6. Device according to claim 2 characterised by the fact that theflexible handling bar (1) comprises a spring (4) which enables theflexible handling bar (1) to return to its initial position or shapewhen a bending or twisting stress ceases to be applied.